Game board apparatus



y 1957 R. A. MABRAER 2,799,503

GAME BOARD APPARATUS Fil ed Sept. 14. 1954 Fig.3 2 F/g5 Fig 7 F g-. TMMJ nited States This invention relates to board game apparatus and is intended primarily to provide a stimulant to advance thinking and planning, or, in other words, physical aid to mental exercises.

The object of this invention is to provide a game board suitable to carry out a mental strategy.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention incorporating several alternative types of P y;

Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 6 and Figure 7 are similar pieces, except for markings; and,

Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 8, and Figure 9 are similar pawns, except for markings.

The present invention may be carried out with various types of simulated pawns, but for the sake of illustration, has been illustrated and will be described as a game of strategy involving fighter planes and bombers wherein opposed teams attempt to destroy the bases of the other team.

In the drawing there is illustrated a game board 10 having a playing field of generally rectangular form subdivided into 121 rectangular units 11 located in contiguous rows 12-22 of eleven units or spaces 11 each. The spaces also define 11 contiguous columns normal to the rows. reference character 23 as a means for establishing a descriptive location. The second side is therefore indicated by the reference character 24.

A plurality of identical pieces known as fighter planes.

25, 26, 40, 41 are provided. Pieces 25 differ from pieces 26 in that distinguishing marks are added in order to provide identification means for opposing teams. Likewise, pawns or bombers 27, 28, 42, 43 are provided for opposing teams.

The board is provided with distinctively marked' This game has been devised to fill the gap in'complexity between checkers and chess. However, it can easily be played by two, three or four players and many modifications of play are possible. Each player haseither one or two squadrons of fighter planes and bombing planes depending on the variation of the game played. Each squadron consists of eight fighters and one bomber.

atent C Patented July 16, 1957 The playing board itself has 121 squares in which play is carried out.

PURPOSE Each player (or squadron commander) must strategically maneuver his fighters and bombers so that the enemy bomber base is destroyed. The bomber base is a specially colored square and there are eight in all. However, the usual game calls for only two or four to be used at one time. The squadron commander who first destroys his objective is the winner.

HOW TO START THE GAME FOR TWO PLAYERS ,Each player has command of two red or two blue squadrons. Start by placing one bomber on each of two bomber bases and then place the fighters around the bomber as shown in the drawing. Either player may move first and the game begins.

HOW TO MOVE THE FIGHTERS AND BOMBERS The players take turns in moving their respective Only one fighter or one bomber may be moved in one turn and only one space at a time. All squares may be used in play. The fighters may move onto bomber bases as if they were ordinary squares.

' Each squadron commander may use his own strategy A first side of the board 10 is designated by the Y and may move fighters or bombers in either of his two squadrons as he desires.

The triangularly shaped fighters can move in any direction; forward, backward, to either side, or diagonally but only one square at a time. The bombers can move only forward or to either side. They cannot move backwards or diagonally. They, too, move only one space at a time.

THE STRATEGY OF THE GAME ,the standard game for two players, both enemy bases must be destroyed before the game ends. One bomber may destroy both enemy bases or each of two bombers may be used to destroy an enemy base.

THE PURPOSE OF THE FIGHTERS The fighters are used to escort and protect the bombers.

They, in themselves, cannot destroy enemy bomber bases.

They can,-however, destroy enemy fighters or even enemy bombers. It is for the squadron commander to decide how many fighters he wishes to send along to protect his HOW FIGHTERS ARE LOST Fighters have the ability to jump as in checkers. However, they can jump in any direction. Fighters can only jump enemy fighters; they can never jump a bomber.

- -A fighter is lost if it is jumped by an enemy fighter.

a jumped. The enemy bomber is destroyed by blocking its T Multiple jumps are possible and on occasion two, three, four or more fighters may be lost in one move.

The lost fighters are removed from the board and may not be recovered.

HOW BOMBERS ARE LOST If not adequately protected the bombers may be lost. It takes three fighters or two fighters and one bomber to destroy an enemy bomber. The bomber cannot be direction of movement so it cannot move. This can occur by placing a pawn on both sidesand infront of the enemy bomber, except that if the enemy bomber is on an outside square, it limits the movement thereof to only two directions, then two pawns can completely block the-.enemy bomber. In this situation one pawn wouldbe infront and one to the internal side of the enemy bomber. Since the bomber can move only forward or sideways it is completely lost. Since the enemy bomber is lost, it is removed from the board and may not be recovered. The bomber cannot jump under any conditions so they cannot ever destroy fighters.

HOW A BOMBER IS RENDERED- INEFFECTIVE YET NOT DESTROYED This may occur if the homer overshootsthetarget and sinceit cannot move backwards it is unable to destroy the bomber base. Thus, the bomber base squares are located internally of the playing board rather than on an outside edge thereof. This is a distinction over the game of checkers wherein a rival at the opponents edge row constitutes the obtaining of a king. If the strategy of the player is poor and the bomber moves into that outside row, it cannot ever destroy the enemy base because it cannot move backwards.

THE RULE ABOUT JUMPING Jumping is required at all times where suchasituation exists. If a player does not see the pump another player may call it to his attention so that the. pump.may becarried out.

The rule of forced jumping canbeused to advantage for destruction of enemy fighters who are protecting the bomber base or the bomber itself. Of course, the player who causes the forced jump will lose a fighter but the advantage to be gained can offset the secrifice.

WHAT TO DO WHEN ONE BOMBER BASE IS DESTROYED A special situation exists when one of the two enemy bomber bases has been destroyed. The bomber can then be turned to face the second enemy bomber base which it may destroy next and end the game. This is the only situation where the bomber can change its direction.

WINNING THE GAME When playing as described above with two players, the game ends when one player has destroyed both of his opponents bomber bases. If a player has one of his bombers destroyed he can still win if he can destroy both of the enemy bases before his own are destroyed. If a player has the misfortune to lose both of his bombers after destroying only oneenemy'base he can still win. This is done by destroying both enemy'bombers before they have destroyed both of his bomber bases. In this case, the one who destroyed one bomber base is the winner. If no bomber bases have been destroyed by either player and both have lost their bombers, the one with the most fighters remaining is declared the winner.

VARIATIONS OF THE GAME 1. Standard for three or four players The game as described above for two players can easily be played with three or four players. When three play, one player has command of two squadrons and he plays against two opponents, each of whom has one squadron.

When four play, each player has one squadron. Two players are partners and play against the other two. Turns alternate and although partners are not allowed to discuss strategy with each other they may help each other by other means. For example, one player can send fighters to aid his partner. Either bomber can be used to destroy either enemy base. Each player can move his own squadron and not his partners. If one player loses all of his fighters, and his bomber, he is out of'the game and his partnercontinues alone. Therules for win-- 4 ning and ending the game are the same as those described above for strategy for two players.

2. Variation for two players In this game each player has but one squadron and uses the bomber bases 33 and 34 with the fighters grouped as illustrated for one group in Figure 1.

The game is played the same as standard for two players except that only one bomber base can be destroyed.

3. Further variations for two players There are several other ways for playing this game for two players. For example, using one squadron each in similar position as described in-paragraph two above, all three opposite bomber bases are used as objectives or any two can be used.

4. Variation for four players This is a free for all contest where each player has one squadron placed about each bomber base-33, 34, 35 and 36. Jumping is more complex since there are no partners and the first player to destroy the enemy bomber base directly across from him is the winner.

5. Further variations for four players The variation described in paragraph four above can be played with partners. In this case the adjacent (not the opposite) players are partners. The game may be played in a similar fasion to standard strategy for four players in that both enemy bomber bases may be destroyed by either partners bomber. The game may also be played where each partner must destroy only the bomber base directly opposite his own.

These variations may also be played by three players in which case one player commands two squadrons and plays against each of the other two players.

Other variations of the game may be devised by the players themselves.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A game comprising in combination, a game board having a flat playing area and four side edges, said area being divided into a plurality of spaces, said spaces being arranged to define a plurality of contiguous rows, said spaces also being arranged to define a plurality of columns normal to the rows, the columns and rows being of equal number, said spaces including a first pair of. plainly marked spaces forming first and second home bases of unlike marking, said first and second bases being. located in a first column, said spaces including a second pair of plainly marked spaces forming third and fourth home bases of unlike marking, said third and fourth bases being located in a second column, said first and third bases being located in a first row, said second and fourth bases being. located in a second row, said board having one row interposed between one of said side edges and said first row, said board having another row interposed between another of said side edges and said second row; first, second, third, and fourth bomber pawns disposed on the first, second, third, and fourth bases respectively at the start of the game, first, second, third, and fourth groups of pieces arranged in triangular fashion about the first, second, third, and fourth bases respectively at the start of the game, a majority of said first and third groups of pieces being disposed on the spaces comprising said one row at the start of the game, a majority of said second and fourth groups of pieces being-disposed on thespacesv comprising said other rowat the start of the game, the first pawn and the first pieces having similar markings, the second pawn and the second pieces having similar markings, the third pawn and the third pieces having similar markings, the fourth pawn and the fourth pieces having similar markings, said first pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said first base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said second base, said second pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said second base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said first base, said third pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said third base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said fourth base, said fourth pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said fourth base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said third base, each of said groups of pieces being moveable for thedestruction of other groups of pieces by jumping such pieces, and similar pawn and pieces being moveable to eliminate other of the pawns by blocking such other pawns movement.

2. A game comprising in combination, a game board having a fiat playing area and four side edges, said area being divided into a plurality of spaces, said spaces being arranged to define a plurality of contiguous rows, said spaces also being arranged to define a plurality of columns normal to the rows, the columns and rows being of equal number, said spaces including a first pair of plainly marked spaces forming first and second home bases of unlike marking, said first and second bases being located in a first column, said spaces including a second pair of plainly marked spaces forming third and fourth home bases of unlike marking, said third and fourth bases being located in a second column, said first and third bases being located in a first row, said second and fourth bases being located in a second row, said spaces including fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth plainly identifiable bases of unlike marking, said fifth base lying in said first row and being equidistant from said first and third bases, said sixth base lying in said second row and being equidistant from said second and fourth bases, said seventh base lying at the midpoint of a third column, said third column being contiguous to said first column, said eighth base lying at the midpoint of a fourth column, said fourth column and said second column being contiguous, said first and sixth bases being identically marked, said second and fifth bases being identically marked, said third and seventh bases being identically marked, said fourth and eighth bases being identically marked, said board having one row interposed between one of said side edges and said first row, said board having another row interposed between another of said side edges and said second row, first, second, third, and fourth bomber pawns disposed on the first, second, third, and fourth bases respectively at the start of the game, first, second, third, and fourth groups of pieces arranged in triangular fashion about the first, second, third, and fourth bases respectively at the start of the game, the majority of said first and third groups of pieces being disposed on the spaces comprising said one row at the start of the game, the majority of said second and fourth groups of pieces being disposed on the spaces comprising said other row at the start of the game, the first pawn and the first pieces having similar marking, the second pawn and the second pieces having similar marking, the third pawn and the third pieces having similar marking, and the fourth pawn and the fourth pieces having similar marking, said first pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said first base and movement from one contiguous square to another,

and toward said second base and thence to said fifth base, said second pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said second base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said first base and thence to said sixth base, said third pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said third base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said fourth base and thence to said eighth base, said fourth pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said fourth base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said third base and thence to said seventh base, each of said groups of pieces being movable for destruction of other groups of pieces by jumping such pieces, and similar pawn and pieces being movable to eliminate other of the pawns by blocking their movement.

3. A game comprising in combination, a game board having a fiat playing area and four side edges, said area being divided into a plurality of spaces, said spaces being arranged to define a plurality of contiguous rows, said spaces also being arranged to define a plurality of columns normal to the rows, the columns and rows being of equal number, said spaces inciuding a first pair of plainly marked spaces forming first and second home bases of unlike marking, said first and second bases being located in a first column, said spaces including a second pair of plainly marked spaces forming third and fourth home bases of unlike marking, said third and fourth bases being located in a second column, said first and third bases being located in a first row, said second and fourth bases being located in a second row, said board having one row interposed between one of said side edges and said first row, said board having another row interposed between another of said side edges and said second row, first and second bomber pawns disposed on the first and third bases respectively at the start of the game, first and second groups of pieces arranged in triangular fashion about the first and third bases respectively at the start of the game, a majority of said first and second groups of pieces being disposed on the spaces comprising said one row at the start of the game, the first pawn and the first pieces having similar markings, the second pawn and the second pieces having similar markings, said first pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said first base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said second base, said second pawn and pieces being arranged for protection of said third base and movement from one contiguous square to another and toward said fourth base, each of said groups of pieces being movable for destruction of the other group of pieces by jumping such pieces, and similar pawn and pieces being movable to eliminate the other pawn by blocking movement of such other pawn.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 512,421 Wilson Jan. 9, 1894 689,137 Snyder Dec. 17, 1901 695,431 Atwood Mar. 18, 1902 1,144,743 Upjohn June 29, 1915 1,294,256 George Feb. 11, 1919 1,321,405 Suyehivo Nov. 11, 1919 1,798,701 Reed Mar. 31, 1931 2,464,819 Lieberman Mar. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,853 Great Britain 1894 92,422 Switzerland Sept. 21, 1921 620,529 Great Britain Mar. 25, 1949 

